Kara’s path into midwifery started with a worn out copy of Spiritual
Midwifery that she inherited in her first pregnancy. As a new mother of two
young children, she continued to collect volumes of birth stories and stacks
of text books. Kara enrolled in a doula training in 2003 and after a successful
doula practice for six years she began an apprenticeship with a busy homebirth
practice, Rites of Passage
with Nancy Myrick, CNM and Ami Burnham, LM, and enrolled in
National College of Midwifery
with academic supervision with Cynthia Banks, CNM.
Kara has studied at The Farm,
completed Hearts and Hands,
and worked in the Kafoutine Clinic in Senegal. Nine years after attending her first birth as a doula, Kara began her homebirth practice in San Francisco. In 2015 Kara opened the ROOT, home to four individual midwifery practices, where they strive to create community for women. Kara continues to collect birth stories, amounting a wealth
of trust and love for women and babies, and their ability to birth.

So you want to know more about Homebirth…

How do I know homebirth is right for me?
Homebirth is an excellent choice for low risk women who are
seeking an out of hospital pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience.

What are the benefits of homebirth?
Being at home means being in your own space and knowing who will be
there. It means being empowered, being heard, and making choices. Homebirth
means surrendering to labor, allowing it to unfold naturally, and trusting
your midwives. It is also about being tucked into your own bed with your new baby.

Do midwives take insurance?
Most PPOs cover a percentage of homebirth as an out of network
provider. Kara works with an insurance biller to make sure that
you are able to get a maximum return.

What about the mess?
Homebirth is surprisingly tidy. Usually by the time we leave
there is one small bag of rubbish and another of laundry, if we
haven’t gotten that in the washer yet. Because we clean up
the mess we make sure to not make much of one in the first place.

Can I labor and birth in the water?
Yes, you can. Many women find submerging in a pool of water eases
the intensity of labor. We provide a list of resources so that you
can rent a tub if you choose.

What about aftercare?
This is the part that really makes the difference. We do home visits
postpartum so you can get the care you need without leaving the nest.
This includes lactation support, assessments of you and your baby, and
support with the transitions of new parenting.